Origin sliding doors at an Al Barari villa in Dubai.
Origin to launch factory in Dubai
UK-based Origin is spreading its wings across the region and will open a factory in Dubai to manufacture its aluminium bi-folding doors for the Middle East and Africa market.
01 January 2014
ORIGIN, a UK-based specialist manufacturer of aluminium bi-folding doors, is planning to open a factory in Dubai, UAE, after scoring some major project wins in the Middle East.
“We now have a solid stream of orders and will, therefore, be looking to increase our manufacturing facilities in the region by replicating our UK factory at Dubai Investment Park,” says Guy Dawson, general manager of Origin Dubai.
“This factory will service the GCC and Africa. Expertise will be brought in from the UK but the vast majority of raw materials will be sourced from the UAE. We will maintain the extremely high quality standards of the UK, and service levels will be unsurpassed by any other company in the region. We hope that this facility will be fully operational during the course of 2014,” he adds.
Founded in the UK in 2001, Origin opened its Dubai office and showroom in Al Quoz in 2011 in response to the demand from across the GCC and wider Middle East.
“We launched our unique range of folding sliding doors in Dubai in October 2011, closely followed by our electric blinds in 2012. These folding sliding doors have become the hottest trend in the European door and window market since PVC and double glazing more than 50 years ago, and this demand is now sweeping the Middle East as more and more householders, designers and architects become aware of the benefits they offer,” says Dawson.
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Dawson ... happy with the response. |
He continues: “More recently, we have released a new range of innovative corner sets. These sets feature a unique design with a moving corner post, allowing each of the doors to fold and slide around 90-degree angles, providing an uninterrupted panorama and sweeping away the corners to open up the entire room.”
Dawson says the response to the company’s folding sliding doors has been “overwhelming” in the region. “Once people see the products, they usually become their preferred choice, as they offer flexibility, create space and allow people to make the most of the outside. They’re also great for restaurants and hotels, creating more space for extra covers, or extending the outdoor feel around a pool or garden.
“Our doors also offer superior weather and thermal resistance, keeping out sand and dust as well as heat – which really appeals to architects or developers wanting to keep running costs to a minimum,” he says.
Origin’s folding sliding doors have been specified in a number of developments across the UAE, from residential villa projects such as Al Barari in Dubai to restaurants and hotels such as Maison Mathis at Arabian Ranches in Dubai and the new Al Bustan Hotel in Abu Dhabi.
A new Al Barari villa typically has eight sets of Origin folding sliding doors, providing uncluttered openings to the beautiful gardens and water features. Meanwhile, Maison Mathis is able to open up the entire side of the restaurant to give a unique al fresco feel to the new establishment.
Commenting on business, he says: “Origin has had an incredibly successful two years in the region, rapidly establishing itself as the Middle East’s leading supplier of bespoke aluminium bi-folding doors and trebling turnover. With the announcement of the Expo 2020 win, we expect to make further announcements about regional expansion and local manufacturing facilities that will allow us to replicate our UK factory in Dubai this year.”
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Origin folding sliding doors ... providing uncluttered openings. |
Origin prefers to work with trade partners and is now seeking these across the GCC and Africa. However, the company also targets homeowners as well as the architects and interior designers directly, making them aware of how much a folding sliding door can enhance the living space and the lives of the people living/working there.
“The UAE has been our main focus initially, although we have exported doors from Dubai to Ethiopia, Kenya and as far afield as the Sudan. Our doors now have a strong foothold in the region and we are currently talking with partners in Doha (Qatar), Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, among others,” says Dawson.
He believes the company’s UAE business will continue to grow at a rapid pace in the foreseeable future as the demand for its products continues to gain momentum. “We are confident that demand from other GCC countries will follow as the trend for this style of door spreads across the region,” he adds.
He says that Origin’s folding sliding doors are becoming increasingly popular with villa owners, hotel and restaurant managers alike, both for new-builds and renovations. “The doors are not only uniquely versatile, allowing people to enjoy the outdoors by extending their gardens, pools or dining areas, they also create space, adding a new dimension to entertaining by creating large spaces,” Dawson says.
He rates the luxury villa development at Al Barari as Origin’s most prestigious project.
“The architects there are forward thinking and provide residents with unmatched levels of luxury, combined with a unique environment in which to live. Our folding sliding doors have been incorporated into all the ground floor rooms, as well the bedrooms upstairs. These make a huge impact by providing extra versatility throughout, and are especially favoured by residents for entertaining and for opening up the properties to enjoy outstanding built-in landscapes.”
Meanwhile, the Maison Mathis restaurant at Arabian Ranches Golf Club has eight sets of folding doors, creating a distinctive European feel for diners, and numerous individual villas at Arabian Ranches, The Lakes, The Villa, and Al Sufouh have also been refurbished with Origin folding sliding doors.
